Device for effectively utilizing physical force applied thereto to actuate a control member



' y 9. 1967 K. OHLSON 3,313,113

DEVICE FOR EFFECTIVELY UTILIZING PHYSICAL FORCE APPLIED THERETO TO ACTUATB A CONTROL MEMBER Filed NOV. 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet lg 11v ENTOR. W Q /M 'L'ATTORNEY May 9, 1967 Lf-{JHLSQN 3,318,118

DEVICE FOR EFFECTIVELY UTILIZING PHYSICAL FORCE APPLIED THERETO TO AGTUATE A CONTROL MEMBER Filed Nov. 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AIR FILTER F/G'. Z

IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3 318,118 DEVICE FOR EFFEdTIVELY UTILIZING PHYS- ICAL FORCE APPLIED THERETO TO ACTU- ATE A CONTROL MEMBER Kurt Lennart l1lson, Farsta, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Electrolux, Stockholm, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Nov. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 507,413 Claims priority, application Sweden, Nov. 13, 1964, 13,736/64 9 Claims. (Cl. 68-24) My invention relates to a device for utilizing force ap plied thereto to actuate a control member.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved device of this type having bendable and bodily movable walls and in which only atmospheric air is employed as a fluid medium, and to provide a fabricated construction which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of a washing machine embodying my invention; FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of details shown in FIG. 1 and a diagrammatic representation of an electric circuit for the motor of the washing machine; and FIG. 3 is a view taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

In FIG 1 I have shown my invention in connection with a washing machine comprising an outer shell or housing 11 having a base 12 provided with supporting legs 14 for supporting the Washing machine in an erect position on a supporting surface 15. The outer shell 11 further includes upstanding side walls 16 and a top 17 which, together with the base 12, define a space 18 within the outer shell 11. In the space 18 is positioned an open-top container or receptacle 19, the upper end of which is flexibly connected at 20 in any suitable manner to the side walls 16 at the vicinity of the top 17. By way of example and without limitation, a corrugated collar 21 formed of resilient material, such as relatively thin sheet metal or elast-omeric material, may be employed to provide the flexible connection 20.

An apertured cylinder or drum 22 is mounted for rota tion about a horizontal axis within the receptacle 19. Clothes to be washed are introduced into the cylinder 22 which may have an opening adapted to be closed by a sliding door (not shown) and to which access may be had by a cover 23 hinged (not shown) to the top 17. The cylinder 22 is provided with stub shafts 24 which project axially from its ends and are journaled at the upper ends of upstanding brackets 25 which are disposed in the space 18. The brackets 25 at their lower ends are fixed to a horizontally disposed frame 26 resiliently supported at 27 to the base 12. I

The receptacle 19 serves as a washing zone for clothes held in the cylinder or drum 22. Liquid may be introdu-ced into the receptacle 19 and withdrawn therefrom in any suitable manner (not shown) to perform a sequence of operations including at least one washing period and one or more rinsing periods and periods for extracting liquid from clothes by centrifugal force or centrifuge action.

The stub shafts 24 at the regions they pass through openings in the washing receptacle 19 are provided with liquidtight seals (not shown) which may be flexible in character. Such flexible liquid-tight seals, together with the flexible connection 20 for supporting the receptacle 19 and the resilient support 27 for the brackets 25, permits the washing 3,318,118 Patented May 9, 1967 receptacle 19 to vibrate under certain operating conditions, as will be explained presently.

The apertured cylinder 22 is driven by an electric motor 28 which is mounted on the resiliently supported frame 26 and provided with a shaft 29. An endless belt 30, which is disposed about pulleys 31, 32 fixed to the motor shaft 29 and one of the stub shafts 24, respectively, form a part of the mechanism to render the motor 28 operable to rotate the apertured cylinder 22 continuously in one direction or alternately in opposite directions within the washing recepatcle 19. As shown in FIG. 1, the apertured cylinder desirably is provided with spaced axially extending ridges 33 which extend radially inward toward the axis of the cylinder 22 and tend to carry clothes upward within the cylinder when it rotates about its axis. When the clothes reach a higher level within the cylinder 22 at which the ridges become ineffective to hold the upward moving clothes, the clothes fall toward the bottom of the cylinder.

As diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2, electrical energy may be supplied to the motor 28 from a suitable source of supply 34 through conductors 35 and 36. The conductor 35 is connected at 37 to one terminal of the motor, and the conductor 36 is connected to one terminal of a switch 38. Conductors 39 and 40 complete the circuit for the motor 28, these conductors being connected at one end to the switch 38 and at the other end at 41 and 42, respectively, to other terminals of the electric motor 28. The switch 38 is provided with an operating control member 43 which projects outside the switch and is operatively associated with a part (not shown) of the switch which is movable between two positions and spring biased toward the left in FIG. 2. In such spring biased position, the switch control member 43 is in the position shown in FIG. 2 and the aforementioned switch part is in one of its two positions, whereby a circuit is completed for the motor 23 through one of the conductors 39 and 40. Under these conditions, a circuit is completed through certain windings of the motor 28 which renders the latter operable to drive the cylinder 22 at a sufiiciently high speed to extract liquid from clothes therein by centrifugal force.

When the switch operating member 43 is moved toward the right from the position shown in FIG. 2 by force applied thereto which is of sufiicient magnitude to move the aforementioned switch part to the other of its two positions against the action of the biasing means, a circuit is completed for the motor 28 thorugh the other of the condoctors 39 and 40. Under the last-mentioned conditions, a circuit is completed through windings of the motor 28 which renders the latter operable to drive the cylinder 22 at a slower speed that the speed at which it is driven to eX- tract liquid from clothes, such slower speed being in a range in which washing and rinsing of clothes is effected, for example.

The switch 38 which has just been described has not been shown in detail because its illustration is not believed necessary for an understanding of my invention. However, it is desirable to employ a switch of a type which is relatively small and functions to complete one or the other of the motor circuits just described with relatively small movement of the switch operating member 43 between its outer and inner positions. A switch of this type is available under the trademark Microswitch.

When the clothes being washed are not evenly distributed at the inner surface of the cylinder 22, objectional vibration of the washing receptacle 19 may occur. This is especially true when the cylinder 22 is being driven by the motor 28 at a sufficiently high speed to extract liquid from clothes by centrifugal force. Such objectionable vibration of the washing receptacle 19 usually does not occur when the cylinder 22 is being driven at a slower speed by the electric motor, as during periods of washing and rinsing, for example.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a device 44 for utilizing physical force applied thereto to actuate the control member 43. The device 44 comprises first and second containers 45 and 46, respectively, for air. The containers 45 and 46 are disposed at opposite sides of a partition 47. The partition 47 is provided with aper-tured zones 48 and 49 and valve members 50 and 51 therefor.

The first container 45 is in communication with the second container 46 at the apertured zone 48 and in communication with the atmosphere at the apertured zone 49 which is outside the container 46. The valve member 50 at the apertured zone 48 is resiliently biased by a spring 52 to its closed position, the spring 52 functioning to move the valve member 50 to its closed position by a biasing force which acts transversely of the partition 47 toward the container 45.

The valve member 51 at the apertured zone 49 is resiliently biased by a spring 53 to its closed position, the spring 53 functioning to move the valve member 51 to its closed position by a biasing force which acts transversely of the partition 47 in a direction from the first container 45. Further, the second container 46 is provided with an opening 54 which establishes communication between the interior thereof and the atmosphere.

The first container 45 includes a wall 45a which is bendable and bodily movable inward responsive to physical force applied to its outer surface. In the embodiment being described, the washing machine is subject to abnormal vibration when the washing load in the cylinder 22 becomes unbalanced while liquid is being extracted by centrifuge action and the motor 28 is being driven at one speed, as explained above. The first container 45 of the control device 44 is arranged closely adjacent to the receptacle 19, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and physical force is applied to the wall 45a which is derived and results from abnormal vibration of the receptacle 19, the physical force so applied to the wall 45a being capable of moving the last-mentioned wall bodily inward.

The valve member 50 moves from its closed position against the biasing action of the spring 52 responsive to inward bodily movement of the wall 45a to effect flow of air through the apertured zone 48 from the first container 45 to the second container 46. The second container 46 includes walls 46a and 46b which are bendable and bodily movable outward responsive to flow of air thereto from the first container 45 through the apertured zone 48.

Means 55 at the vicinity of the opening 54 in the second container 46, due to bodily outward movement of the wall 46a at the region of the opening 54, functions to actuate the control member 43 and move the latter inward or toward the right in FIG. 2 to change the electric circuit for the motor 28, as explained above, toreduce the motor speed and hence the speed at which the rotatable cylinder 22 is driven by the motor.

The wall 46a of the second container is thicker at the region 460 of the opening 54 than at other regions removed therefrom. The region 460 of the wall 46a is formed with an elongated passage 46d within which is disposed a hollow sleeve 56 having an end wall 55 which I is transverse to the axis of the passage 46d and formed with an aperture defining the opening 54. It will now be understood that the wall 55 functions as the means at the vicinity of the opening 54 which, when the wall 46a moves bodily outward, functions to actuate the control member 43. The aperture defining the opening 54 is of such size that it offers the desired resistance to flow of air therethrough from the interior of the second container 46 to the atmosphere.

A hollow sleeve-like air filter element 57 is disposed within the sleeve 56 which also olfers resistance to flow of air and regulate the rate at which air can pass from the interior of the second container 46. In this way the interval of time the means 55 can function to actuate the control member 43 and maintain the latter at lts inner position can -be efiectively controlled. As explained above, the control member 43 in its inner position com pletes an electric circuit for the motor 28 which renders the latter operable to drive the cylinder 22 at a speed which is lower than the speed at which the cylinder is driven when the washing machine is being subjected to centrifuge action. During the interval of time the cylinder 22 is being driven at the lower speed, the washing load is redistributed in the cylinder so that, when the cylinder 22 again is driven at a higher speed to extract liquid by centrifuge action, the operating condition causing abnormal vibration of the receptacle 19 often has been removed. In certain instances, the control device 44 may function several times to reduce the speed at which the cylinder 22 is driven to effect the proper redistribution of the washing load so that the cylinder again can be driven at centrifuge speed without producing objectional vibration of the washing machine. By inserting different size filter elements 57 having smaller 01 larger interstices through which the air flows, the rate at which air passes from the interior of the second sontainer 46 to the atmosphere can be regulated.

Referring to FIG. 2, it Will be seen that the valve them-- her 51 is provided with a long stem 51a which extends to= ward the wall 46b of the second container 46. When the walls of the second container 46 move bodily outward due to flow'of air into the interior thereof, as explained above, the wall 46b at the vicinity of the valve stem 51a acts upon the latter to move the valve member 51 frorn its closed position, thereby permitting atmospheric air to be introduced into the first container 451 This action commences substantially at the same time that the means 55 is rendered operable to actuate the control member 43.-

The control device 44 includes a hood 58 which en= velops and is disposed about the switch 38 and is open at the bottom. This protects the switch 38 in the event water inadvertently flows into the space 18 about the re ceptacle 19. The switch 38 is supported within the hood 58 at 59, as shown in FIG. 3. The hood 58 includes a part 58a which axially overlaps the second container 46, as shown in FIG. 2. The hood part 58a and partition 47 are formed with rims or flanges 58b and 47a, re-' spectively, which are in abutting relation and held together within a ring-shaped groove 60 formed in a flange 61 de'- fining the open end of a cup-shaped member 62 which has its bottom removed from the partition 47 and defines the first container 45. With this construction the hood 58, which supports the switch 38, forms a unitary part of an assembly which includes the control device 44. The cup-shaped member 62 desirably is formed of an elastomeric material like rubber, for example, which facilitates fabricating of the entire assembly shown in FIG. 2.

The second container 46 desirably is also formed of an elastomeric material like rubber, for example, and includes a neck portion '63 having a ring-shaped external groove 64 which receives an annular shaped lug 65 formed in an opening 66 in the partition 47. A circular plate 67 is held at the open end of the neck portion 63, an internal recess or slot 68 of annular form being provided in the neck portion to receive and hold the peripheral edge portion of the plate 67. The plate 67 forms a part of the partition 47 and it is at this region the aper tured zone 48 is provided.

A hollow body portion 69 is provided adjacent to the neck portion 63 and communicates therewith, the body portion being of larger diameter than the neck portion. The body portion 69 includes the pair of walls 46a and 46b which are transverse to the axis of the neck portion 63 and connected to one another at their outer peripheries. The wall 46b has a central opening and is connected at its inner periphery to the neck portion 63. The wall 46a is formed with the opening 54 and means 55 operable to actuate the control member 43, as seen in FIG. 2. The partition 47 is provided with a horizontally extending leg 70 having its outer end bearing against the wall 46b of the second container 46 to insure the latter will remain in its upright or illustrated position.

The hood 58 also functions as a bracket to support the control device and switch assembly within the outer shell 11 of the washing machine 10. The vertically extending end 580 of the hood 58 is fixed at 71, as by cap screws, for example, to a plate 72 which in turn is removably secured at 73 at an opening 74 in one of the side walls 16 of the outer shell 11 of the washing machine. With this arrangement, the control device and switch 38 are readily accessible for inspection and repair.

Although I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the particular arrangement set forth, and I intend in the following claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described for utilizing physical force applied thereto to actuate a control member, said device comprising:

first and second containers for air,

a partition,

said first container being disposed at one side of said partition and said second container being disposed at the other side of said partition, said first container being in communication with said second container at a first apertured zone of said partition and said first container being in communication with the atmosphere at a second apertured zone of said partition which is outside of said second container, first valve means at the first apertured zone, first resilient means for biasing said first valve means to a closed position at said first apertured zone, said first resilient means functioning to move said first valve means to its closed position by a first biasing force which acts transversely of said partition toward said first container, second valve means at the second apertured zone, second resilient means for biasing said second valve means to its closed position at said second apertured zone, said second resilient means functioning to move said second valve means to its closed position by a second biasing force which acts transversely of said partition in a direction from said first container,

said second container having an opening establishing communication between the interior thereof and the atmosphere,

said first container including a first wall which is bendable and bodily movable inward responsive to physical force applied to its outer surface,

said first valve means moving from its closed position against the action of said first resilient biasing means responsive to inward bodily movement of said first wall to effect flow of air through said first apertured zone from said first container to said second container,

. said second container including a second wall which is bendable and bodily movable outward responsive to flow of air thereto from said first container through said first apertured zone,

the region of said second container having said opening moving bodily outward responsive to the bodily outward movement of said second wall of said second container,

means at the vicinity of said opening which is adapted to actuate the control member responsive to bodily outward movement of said region of said second container,

and said second valve means moving from its closed position against the action of said second resilient biasing means responsive to outward bodily movement of said second container to fiow air through said second apertured zone from the atmosphere to said first container.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said actuating means at the opening of said second container comprises a hollow sleeve extending axially through the opening, and said sleeve having an air filter therein.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said actuating means at the opening of said second container includes a part having a wall which is transverse to the axis of the opening and formed with an aperture offering resistance of flow of air therethrough from the interior of said second container to the atmosphere.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the wall of said second container is thicker at the region of said opening therein than at other regions removed therefrom and said actuating means at the opening of said second container comprises an apertured part which extends through the opening between the inner and outer surfaces of said second container at said region and offers resistance to flow of air therethrough from the interior of said second container to the atmosphere.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 which forms part of an assembly including an electric switch having a control member arranged to be acted upon by said actuating means responsive to physical force applied to the first wall of said first container and capable of bodily moving said first wall inward, and means forming a unitary part of said assembly for supporting said switch.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 in which said switch supporting means includes a hood overlying and enveloping said switch, said hood being open at the bottom.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1 which forms a component of an assembly comprising a washing machine which includes a rotatable member adapted to hold a washing load, said washing machine being subject to abnormal vibration when the washing load becomes unbalanced while liquid is being extracted therefrom by centrifuge action, means including an electric motor for driving said rotatable member at one speed to effect liquid extraction by said centrifuge action and at a lower speed at which the washing machine normally is not subject to abnormal vibration, an electric circuit for supplying electrical energy from a source of supply of said motor, said circuit including a switch having a control member arranged to be acted upon by said actuating means responsive to physical force which results from abnormal vibration of said washing machine and is applied to the first wall of said first container and capable of moving said first wall bodily inward, and means including said switch when acted upon by said actuating means to reduce the speed at which said rotatable member is driven by said driving means from said one speed to said lower speed.

8. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said first container comprises said partition and a cup-shaped member having a bottom and an opposite open end which is fixed to said partition and overlies said first and second apertured zones therein, said cup-shaped member including said first wall and being formed of elastomeric material which is bendable and bodily movable inward responsive to physical force applied to its outer surface, and said second container comprising a hollow part formed of elastomeric material which includes said second wall and is bodily movable outward responsive to flow of air therein from said first container through said first apertured zone.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8 in which said second container includes a neck portion which is fixed to 7 8 said partition and overlies said first apertured zone therecommunication between the interior of said container of and a hollow body portion adjacent thereto which comand the atmosphere. municates with the neck portion and is of larger diameter than the latter, said body portion including a pair of References Cited y the Examine! walls which are transverse to the axis of said neck por- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS tion and are connected at their eripheries, one of said transverse walls having a central opening, the inner pe- 2873599 2/1959 Buechler riphery of said one transverse wall at its central opening 2941390 6/1960 Frey being connected to said neck portion, and the other of said transverse walls having said opening establishing 10 WILLIAM PRICE Prlmary 

1. A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED FOR UTILIZING PHYSICAL FORCE APPLIED THERETO TO ACTUATE A CONTROL MEMBER, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND CONTAINERS FOR AIR, A PARTITION, SAID FIRST CONTAINER BEING DISPOSED AT ONE SIDE OF SAID PARTITION AND SAID SECOND CONTAINER BEING DISPOSED AT THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PARTITION, SAID FIRST CONTAINER BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SECOND CONTAINER AT A FIRST APERTURED ZONE OF SAID PARTITION AND SAID FIRST CONTAINER BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE ATMOSPHERE AT A SECOND APERTURED ZONE OF SAID PARTITION WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF SAID SECOND CONTAINER, FIRST VALVE MEANS AT THE FIRST APERTURED ZONE, FIRST RESILIENT MEANS FOR BIASING SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS TO A CLOSED POSITION AT SAID FIRST APERTURED ZONE, SAID FIRST RESILIENT MEANS FUNCTIONING TO MOVE SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS TO ITS CLOSED POSITION BY A FIRST BIASING FORCE WHICH ACTS TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PARTITION TOWARD SAID FIRST CONTAINER, SECOND VALVE MEANS AT THE SECOND APERTURED ZONE, SECOND RESILIENT MEANS FOR BIASING SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS TO ITS CLOSED POSITION AT SAID SECOND APERTURED ZONE, SAID SECOND RESILIENT MEANS FUNCTIONING TO MOVE SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS TO ITS CLOSED POSITION BY A SECOND BIASING FORCE WHICH ACTS TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PARTITION IN A DIRECTION FROM SAID FIRST CONTAINER, SAID SECOND CONTAINER HAVING AN OPENING ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR THEREOF AND THE ATMOSPHERE, SAID FIRST CONTAINER INCLUDING A FIRST WALL WHICH IS BENDABLE AND BODILY MOVABLE INWARD RESPONSIVE TO PHYSICAL FORCE APPLIED TO ITS OUTER SURFACE, SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS MOVING FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID FIRST RESILIENT BIASING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO INWARD BODILY MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST WALL TO EFFECT FLOW OF AIR THROUGH SAID FIRST APERTURED ZONE FROM SAID FIRST CONTAINER TO SAID SECOND CONTAINER, SAID SECOND CONTAINER INCLUDING A SECOND WALL WHICH IS BENDABLE AND BODILY MOVABLE OUTWARD RESPONSIVE TO FLOW OF AIR THERETO FROM SAID FIRST CONTAINER THROUGH SAID FIRST APERTURED ZONE, THE REGION OF SAID SECOND CONTAINER HAVING SAID OPENING MOVING BODILY OUTWARD RESPONSIVE TO THE BODILY OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND WALL OF SAID SECOND CONTAINER, MEANS AT THE VICINITY OF SAID OPENING WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ACTUATE THE CONTROL MEMBER RESPONSIVE TO BODILY OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID REGION OF SAID SECOND CONTAINER, AND SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS MOVING FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID SECOND RESILIENT BIASING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO OUTWARD BODILY MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND CONTAINER TO FLOW AIR THROUGH SAID SECOND APERTURED ZONE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE TO SAID FIRST CONTAINER. 